Frinton Summer Theatre Archives - Page 2 of 3

Constellations & The Sociable Plover – Frinton Summer Theatre

31Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

Constellations & The Sociable Plover – Frinton Summer Theatre

Double billings at Frinton Summer Theatre are rare, so it is a real treat to watch two plays in one evening. Forget about ‘shrinkflation’, this really is a case of getting two for the price of one – such is the quality and innovation of these plays which would usually be more at home in a London fringe theatre. ‘The Sociable Plover’ by Tim Whitnall is a dark - very dark – comedy drama, with a twist. The action is centred in a bird hide. Roy Tunt (Christopher Howell) is a keen birdwatcher (twitcher) on a mission to sight the Sociable Plover, the last on his list before ornithological fame awaits him in the record books. Dave John (Jon Scott Clark) is a besuited thug who looks like he means trouble – and he has the attitude to boot. In an awkward, and often funny exchange, the pair’s char...

The Winslow Boy – Frinton Summer Theatre

24Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

The Winslow Boy – Frinton Summer Theatre

Is winning at any cost really worth it? This is the central question posed in Terence Rattigan’s ‘The Winslow Boy’. The year is 1908 and thirteen-year-old Ronnie Winslow (Bertie Ketterer) has been accused of petty theft. It is alleged he stole a five-shilling postal order and is then expelled from Osborne Naval College. However, Ronnie insists his innocence. His father, Arthur Winslow (Clive Brill) stands by him and vows to fight to clear his son’s name by instructing the best and most expensive barrister. The battle ‘to have right done’ commences – but the fall out has far reaching consequences. At this point one may expect some court room drama, but this is a firmly family-drama based affair with the esteemed barrister Sir Robert Morton (Will Harrison-Wallace) visiting the home and...

23Aug

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

My Fair Lady – Frinton Summer Theatre

The big tent on the Greensward is a big thing for Frinton Summer Theatre. Marking the finale run of the theatrical season, Clive Brill (Producer & Artistic Director) usually selects a big show where the creative juices can really run wild in the central stage, and the live band can rip out the scores with abandon. ‘My Fair Lady’ is the 2023 big top production, a musical theatre piece by Lerner and Loewe. The story follows Eliza Doolittle (Jennifer Louise Jones) a flower girl in Covent Garden as she learns how to become a lady under the guidance of Henry Higgins (Alan Cox). It’s an interesting way into the class question for one’s accent can affect one’s position in life and this exploration through Higgins’ education of Eliza and her slum dialect can be seen as she transforms not on...

Don’t Dress for Dinner – Frinton Summer Theatre

16Aug

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

Don’t Dress for Dinner – Frinton Summer Theatre

In these dark times we desperately need to laugh and laugh you will at ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much or so hard or felt my laughter was getting in the way of the actor’s next line – which I was eager not to miss on account of the hilarity at stake. The storyline, in brief, goes as follows: a wife is going to visit her mother and her husband is going to take advantage of his wife’s absence by inviting his mistress over for the weekend. His friend who’d been his best man at the wedding then calls and the husband invites him to join, thinking he would make a perfect alibi. As it turns out when the wife discovers the husband’s friend is coming to stay, she cancels her visit to her mother because – as it turns out – she’s having an affair with him...

9Aug

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

Bette & Joan – Frinton Summer Theatre

It’s likely even if you’ve never seen any of their movies, you’ve heard of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Such is the reputation of these Hollywood stars, that all these decades on from their most famous movies, their names are synonymous with the legendary times of that golden era. It was also a time when egos were big, pay cheques were big, and the arguments of epic proportions. Anton Burge has honed in on the feud between the pair, showcasing their lives, personalities and short-comings laid bare for the audience to see. Thrust together to make a movie when both are at the tail-end of their ailing careers makes for a novel platform to explore the starlet’s battle. The production is set in Joan and Bette’s dressing rooms, which face each other, mirror-style. It is an unusually ...

26Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

Folk – Frinton Summer Theatre

At first glance, ‘Folk’ is a charming, uplifting play with plenty of folk music that will have you smiling and maybe even tapping a toe, but beneath the sweet Somerset lilt, is a dark story. Set in 1903 in the Somerset Levels we meet two sisters, Louie Hooper (Hannah Traylen) and Lucy White (Gemma Sutton) who have just buried their mother. Life is hard. The machines are coming and they cannot sew gloves fast enough to keep their heads above water. The work songs passed down from their mother keep them working, the melodies express their love for the local environment and appreciation of nature. Enter Cecil Sharp (William Oxborrow), a wannabe English composer from London. He wants to collect local folk songs to preserve them for history – and for the national good. He convinces Louie ...

Barefoot in the Park – Frinton Summer Theatre

19Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

Barefoot in the Park – Frinton Summer Theatre

When you’re in a long-term relationship it’s sometimes hard to remember why you’re with the other person. Luckily for Corrie and Paul Bratter they’re newly-weds – 6 days married and full to the brim with love for each other and life. Corrie (Olivia Bernstone) is an optimistic happy wife. Carefree and always wanting to look on the bright side of life, she’s the perfect antidote to her more uptight and anxious new husband Paul (Jamie Treacher). Over the course of four days, we watch as the twosome learn to live together and navigate the mundanities of life from their top floor apartment. Corrie’s mother, Ethel Banks (Olivia Carruthers), and their upstairs neighbour, Victor Velasco (Nathan Osgood), provide enough skits to make this period comedy work. ‘Barefoot in the Park’ is about wan...

The King’s Speech – Frinton Summer Theatre

12Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

The King’s Speech – Frinton Summer Theatre

Most people will know ‘The King’s Speech’ as the Oscar winning film with Colin Firth, but the writer David Seidler, originally came up with the idea as a play. As a boy, Seidler himself suffered from a stammer, and the fact King George VI also suffered a speech impediment was a source of huge creative interest. The story is mainly set in the 1930s as King George V comes to the end of his reign and his eldest son abdicates to marry the American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. Bertie (Duncan Wilkins) is thrust into the position of being crowned King George VI. The challenge being, Bertie, was rather hoping for a quieter royal life, and his debilitating stammer leaves him open to the charge of not being suitable to rule as a King. Set against the backdrop of mounting political tensions in Europe...

Jesus Christ Superstar – Frinton Summer Theatre

1Sep

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

Jesus Christ Superstar – Frinton Summer Theatre

It’s astonishing to think Jesus Christ Superstar first hit the stage 50 years ago when you watch Clive Brill’s reimagining of this iconic rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Packed to the gills with creative ingenuity this is a show worthy of any London stage and to find it in a tent in Frinton-on-Sea is mind-blowing. Opening with Jesus being portrayed as a vain cult-leader, Tim Rogers is the role to perfection with his handsome looks and aloof swagger. Enter Judas (Hugh Maynard) who’s set to bring Jesus down by betraying him to Caiaphas (Jad Habchi). Unfortunately for Jesus, despite the deep love and care from Mary (Rebecca Birch), and his followers, Judas in a delicate kiss, betrays Jesus to his enemies and seals his death with his lips. Despite being a small theatre, t...

Home, I’m Darling – Frinton Summer Theatre

3Aug

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

Home, I’m Darling – Frinton Summer Theatre

‘I’m disgracefully happy,’ said Johnny, grinning like a cheesy dad from the ads. But it was a lie. And so, begins the plot of ‘Home, I’m Darling’, Laura Wade’s new dark comedy about relationships. Judy (Sarah Lambie) takes voluntary redundancy to live the life of her dreams – to become a 1950s housewife and look after her husband and their home. But this isn’t your ordinary ‘playing at a role’, Judy wants the full-on immersive experience. Their house is a shrine to the 1950s (replete with original fridge) and the set and costume design are a wonder to behold (I very much enjoyed Judy’s copious outfits). Judy is the perfect housewife any man could wish for. Set today, but looking back to yesteryear, opens a whole can of nostalgia and gives voice to the role of women in the home and...